Caught your attention, huh?

In Bierma's recent language column, he says a leading German newsmagazine (Bierma's word, not mine), Der Spiegel, wrote in the year 2000 that Amerikanisierung, or Americanization, threatens "das deutsche Sprachschiff auf den Grund zu schicken" -- to sink the ship of the German language. However, Alexander Onysko disputes this in his new book "Anglicisms in German." In fact, his research shows that fewer than 6% of their words are anglicisms. I'd like to take a look at it. Has anyone seen it?

Onysko, for example, talks about "pseudo-anglicisms" -- German words such as Dressman (male model) or Talk-Lady (female talk show host), which use English parts in German ways but are not used by native speakers of English. Do we have pseudo-German words? Or French? Or others?

Of the 2 most common anglicisms, I wasn't surprised by one..."Internet," but I was surprised by "film." Film? It's common enough here, but nothing like "Internet."

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Or French?

Crème de la crème is not to my knowledge a French expression.

"das deutsche Sprachschiff auf den Grund zu schicken" -- to sink the ship of the German language

It's more about running the German language ship aground than sinking it. My favorite faux Anglicisms in German are handy for mobile phone and beamer for projector. As for phony German words, there's one from the Tingo book: Scheissenbedauern. It was really coined by an American. See the comments on the Tingo blog.

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Originally posted by zmježd:
"das deutsche Sprachschiff auf den Grund zu schicken" -- to sink the ship of the German language

My favorite faux Anglicisms in German are handy for mobile phone and beamer for projector.

Mine too! I read the opening post and was looking forward to mentioning those but you beat me to it.

I'm especially fond of "beamer" as in (British) English this is a slang word for a BMW, a German car.

Incidentally do you have any idea by what route those faux anglicisms entered German. Are they "kangaroo" words*? Someone saw a mobile phone and said "that's handy" and was taken too literally by a German. I can't believe that but can't think of another way. It must surely be an intentional German coinage but why?

* Not sure if this is my coinage or not but in case anyone is in doubt I'm referring the the specious origin of the word kangaroo.

I'm especially fond of "beamer" as in (British) English this is a slang word for a BMW, a German car.

As it is in (US) English. When I told my (German) that, they were even more confused. My wife and I use handy in conversation with one another rather than cell. So, it's a reverse, invasive loan.

Incidentally do you have any idea by what route those faux anglicisms entered German.

Not a clue (or clew). We do say something is handy in (US) English. I think they were coined by Germans. By the way, Alexander Onysko (the Austrian linguist mentioned in the Bierma article) has at least one paper online. (Warning, extreme academic English written by a non-native speaker ahead.) It's interesting (and Bierma didn't go into it) that Dr Onysko doesn't consider these to be loanwords but code-switching with which I am sure you are aware, Bob. I'm sure the true answer lies somewhere in-between.

I have also been having fun reading through the Verein Deutsche Sprache e.V. site. NB, e.V. is legal German for eingetragener Verein, so it's also a German Language Society society. Reading there Denglisch FAQ igves one a rather good idea of the reaction people have had to their mission. It was nice [sic] learning there teutonisms for some commonly occuring anglicisms. I did know Rechner (lit., 'counter') for computer and Bildschirm (lit., 'picture umbrella') for monitor, (and you do hear those in the wild), and I cannot wait to see how the vote on a word for (Internet) chat comes out.